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Jake Paul's jaw dropped wide open, his expression turning to wide, stunned circles as he sank to the mat in stunned disbelief following a pulverising right hand from Anthony Joshua. It looked as if Paul was trying to say "Wow!" as the force of the impact sank in to his scrambled senses.

"The fans didn't pay to see this rubbish," said the referee, encapsulating the dismal spectacle far more succinctly than any observer else managed to.

Pinned in a corner of the ring midway through the sixth round, Paul could not retreat or hold on to Joshua's legs in a desperate clinch as the serious reality of the sweet science became clear. Instead, as he attempted to withstand the punch that fractured his mandible in two separate places, Paul was lost in an completely stunned moment.

So that is what it feels, and looks, to be hit hard by a real professional fighter, an Olympic champion and ex- world heavyweight champion. "Goodness" is indeed the word.

It was the fourth time the former YouTuber had been sent to the floor, but the consequences of a clean punch ensured Paul would not be able to rise and taunt his opponent before the official waved the charade to a halt. As blood began to leak from his mouth, and a numbing throb spread through his jaw, Paul at last grasped how difficult, exhausting, and perilous boxing is at a respectable standard of professionalism.

An Unimpressive Commanding Win for the Victor

Anthony Joshua, it should be stressed, was not impressive during the chaos. After his empty victory, he performed a cut-throat motion that suggested a clinical and lethal finish when, in truth, Joshua had appeared exasperated for most of the contest. Instead of exuding intimidation or displaying an unshakeable confidence, Joshua had seemed hesitant and crude for nearly five rounds.

Paul's lack of conditioning, which is a fundamental requirement in top-level boxing, shaped the result. Without the gas to flee any more, and resorting to falling to the canvas as frequently as he could for a breather, Paul was left helpless by exhaustion. Joshua applied the brutal finish, but, up to that point, he had looked like a sad shadow of the boxer he was in 2017.

Joshua's Aftermath Assessment

"That was not the finest performance," Joshua conceded. "The objective was to get Jake Paul, corner him and do damage. That has been the request, and that's what was on my thoughts. It took a bit longer than expected, but the right hand finally reached its destination."

Joshua commended Paul's courage but he added an excuse for his own stilted showing. "He faced a genuine competitor tonight that's had a fifteen-month layoff," Joshua said, mentioning his previous loss. "We shook off the rust, and I am eager to head into 2026."

The Future: Past Their Prime and New Talent

In the press conference afterwards, a cheerful Joshua attempted a poor impression of Tyson Fury as he demanded a fight against the currently retired boxer. Joshua will likely have his way, but that bout comes much too late in their careers. Both men are on the far side of the peak.

In stark contrast, the most interesting big men in the world are Oleksandr Usyk and the British prospect. Usyk is still the undoubted king of the division, having beaten both Joshua and Fury twice. Meanwhile, Itauma is a rising talent. The young British heavyweight would probably have needed less than half the amount of rounds that Joshua required to knock Paul into a appropriately astonished state.

Paul's Defiant Response

But the public gets what the public desires, and that certainly means more low-quality celebrity contests. Paul seemed truly proud and brash to have had his jaw broken by a hammer-like right. In the early hours of Saturday morning, he posted an radiograph, with the two fractures highlighted in red.

That jokey reference to the Mexican superstar, a much superior fighter than Joshua but a similarly diminished force, showed that Paul's brazen audacity remains undented. It may not be Canelo, but Paul will soon locate another opponent with whom he can earn north of $50 million.

While he was being interviewed, before leaving for the medical facility, Paul expelled a streak of blood onto the canvas. It was one more grim symbol of the evening as Paul mixed harsh reality with gory bullshit and stated: "I think my jaw is broken. It's certainly broke. A nice little beating from one of the best to ever do it. I love this sport and I'm going to return and continue winning."